OUR VIEW: Changes at cable access a mixed bag

City council meetings are now livestreamed, but sometimes transparency comes at a cost.

In this case, CAT-7, Cloquet’s cable access channel, has lost its studio and its full-time coordinator. That’s a shame, especially since, for years, CAT-7 was the only electronic media outlet covering local government, local events and local churches.

Losing a full-time coordinator also means that the level of service CAT-7 used to provide will be diminished, probably to a great extent. There will be fewer parades, sports events or graduations taped, and less accountability without there being someone in charge of the station on a day-to-day basis.

But it’s hard to not notice that the internet now provides a substantial resource for most people to get their news, information and public announcements.

As Cloquet moved its offices into a new city hall, city administrator Aaron Reeves brought CAT-7 from its spacious studios in the high school to a much smaller space in the new city hall. At the same time, the city invested substantial funds — from CAT-7 reserves — in a new web-based streaming service that will allow the city to broadcast its council meetings, as well as agenda meetings and planning commission meetings live on TV and its own website, and store them for future access online. Those meetings, as well as longtime favorites like “Harry’s Gang,” will continue to be broadcast on CAT-7 and online.

That kind of easy access is a good thing, but the increased government transparency comes with yet-to-be determined future costs for our cable access channel.

Will CAT-7 be able to offer any of its previous programming such as streaming church services or showing Wilderness hockey games?

What if a group of high school kids wants to produce a teen talk show? Or Miss Iris decides to bring her craft program back to life?

Will Mediacom, whose local viewers entirely fund CAT-7, balk at bankrolling the city’s new online streaming service? What about other communities in the Mediacom viewership area that want coverage, such at the Thomson Township supervisor who motioned the town board meetings be televised, or even (dare we suggest?) the Carlton County board of commissioners. The goal should be to make all area government easily accessible … but putting all of the equipment in the Cloquet council chambers won’t make that happen.

And why is there a cable commission if they aren’t going to be consulted on such dramatic changes at the station?

The transition — to put it mildly — has not gone smoothly. We are hopeful that CAT-7 coordinator Eric Lipponen and city administration can begin to work together, instead of against each other for the betterment of all.

And yes, we are eager to see more public meetings and events broadcast to a wider audience, both on cable access and on the website. And we are excited to announce that the city’s newest councilor, Chris Swanson, can attest to how easy it is to watch the council live. After all, he watched the council vote him in, in real time … from Florida.